This invention relates to the field of basketball goals, and in particular to basketball goals having a glass backboard that supports a basketball rim and provides a mounting surface for securing the rim and backboard to a support structure.
Prior art basketball goal designs have been aimed at providing adjusting means to vary the height of a basketball goal. No basketball goal design has addressed the problem of reinforcing a glass basketball backboard to prevent a rim from being torn from the backboard. When the rim is torn from the backboard, the backboard shatters and deposits glass particles over a broad area thereby causing a safety problem and delaying the basketball sporting event.
The problem with prior art basketball goals is that the rim is bolted directly to the backboard. This arrangement is utilized even with the backboard manufactured from glass. A common scoring technique in basketball is for a player to ram the ball through the rim for an easy score and then hang or pull on the rim for a brief period of time after the ball passes through the rim. The player hanging or pulling on the rim can tear the rim from the glass backboard thereby causing the entire backboard to shatter and the rim to be propelled downward towards the player.
Examples of prior art devices include those disclosed in the following United States Patents:
Pat. No. 4,805,904 discloses an adjusting assembly connected to a basketball backboard and mounting post. The adjusting assembly utilizes two parallel support members having one end pivotally connected to a rigid vertical support attached to the backboard, and an opposite end pivotally connected to a support pole. A locking mechanism is connected to both parallel support members thereby maintain the position of the support members and the backboard height of the basketball backboard. The problem with this device is that the basketball rim is bolted to the backboard, and if a glass backboard is utilized with the adjusting assembly, there is the possibility that the rim could be torn from the backboard thereby causing the backboard to shatter and deposit glass particles in the proximate area.
Pat. No. 4,801,142 discloses an adjustable basketball goal with a lift cable and winch for raising and lowering the basketball goal. The cable has a height indicator assembly thereon for indicating the height of the basketball hoop above the playing surface. The support structure for the basketball goal includes a safety cylinder to prevent rapid descent of the backboard thereby avoiding injuries.
Pat. No. 4,526,367 discloses a portable basketball goal that collapses into a lowered position thereby permitting storage in a conventional garage; also, the goal may be wheeled to a desired location and elevated to a playing height.
Pat. No. 3,722,886 discloses a movable stand for a basketball goal having an elongated tube with a basketball goal mounted at one end, means to secure the tube at the opposite end, and a movable carriage supporting the tube at the mid-portion. A winch mechanism is provided to raise and lower the basket and backboard, and backboard adjustment means are provided to position the backboard vertical with respect to the ground as the height is varied.
Pat. No. 3,586,324 discloses a vertically adjustable basketball goal having upper and lower pairs of parallel arms which are pivotally connected to a support thereby allowing the goal to be vertically adjusted by means of a flexible cable passing over a pulley positioned on the top of the support.
Pat. No. 2,881,003 discloses a device for raising and lowering basketball backboards. The device includes upper and lower pairs of support members pivotally connected at one end to a gymnasium wall and pivotally connected at the opposite end to a basketball backboard. A winch assembly is mounted to the gymnasium wall below the support members. A cable from the winch assembly extends upward through a pulley mounted to the gymnasium wall above the support members. The cable then extends downward to the basketball backboard and is connected thereto. This arrangement allows the basketball goal to be elevated upwards and against the gymnasium wall.